The Shams Effect! Cuban admits top reporter is his insider: Shams played a key role in both the Kyrie trade and extension.

Perhaps Woj is missed by many, but Shams is the one Mark Cuban really trusts. Speaking on a podcast on August 21, the ex-Mavs boss made it clear he’d never put money into media, yet he chose to back one of ESPN’s best reporters and build a working relationship with Shams.

When discussing trades that never materialized—including plans to bring Kobe and Pierce to the Mavericks—Cuban revealed how news of these deals would leak out.

“At the time, I thought we had the Kobe trade wrapped up, but the Lakers’ GM convinced the team to back out,” Cuban said. “You know, there were so many free agents we thought we’d sign that just didn’t work out. That’s just how this business goes. If you own a team long enough, you realize that 99% of the deals you think are done never actually happen. We almost pulled off a deal for Paul Pierce, too. Everything was set. But then, as part of the process, we needed to have a trade call, and the deal involved a third team. That third team didn’t know all the details and said, ‘If you want us to approve this, you’ll need to give us another first-round pick.’ We couldn’t meet that demand, so the Pierce trade fell apart.”

So, when do these almost-completed trades start to reach reporters? Cuban explained that it usually happens once the talks expand beyond the team’s front office. “When you start talking to agents or players, leaks can happen, because agents have their own interests and so do the players,” Cuban continued. “That’s when the information really starts to get out.”

It’s at this point that you get calls from reporters like Woj and Shams.

“For me, it’s mainly Shams,” Cuban added. “Shams is my guy. He gets the scoop on certain things. I’ll tell him, ‘I can’t give you specifics, but I’ll have something else for you down the line.’ In return, he helps me stay informed about what’s happening around the league. We have a great relationship. He knows when not to ask, and I know when not to press him about other teams, because he won’t tell me. But when it comes to players and their intentions, he’ll share some insights with me.”

“When we traded for Kyrie (Irving) and later worked out his extension, Shams was a huge help because he has a strong relationship with Kyrie’s agent, who’s also his stepmother.”

This really shows how the relationship between journalists and team executives works in practice. It’s not some secret conspiracy, but rather a form of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Cuban needs information about players and their intentions; Shams needs sources and exclusives. Both sides get what they want, and Cuban was open about how it all works. This partnership made the Kyrie Irving deal possible, which was a win for everyone involved. That’s how the NBA information network operates. And that’s why only a select few reporters break trade news—because you need relationships like the one between Cuban and Shams to get those kinds of scoops.